- Courtney Barksdale Perez and Joshua Bennett have joined BakerHostetler’s Dallas office as partners. Perez will be a member of the Labor and Employment Practice Group and Bennett will become part of the Litigation Practice Group.
- Perez is an accomplished trial lawyer with extensive experience representing individuals, corporations and government entities in state and federal courts in commercial and employment-related disputes, from the risk-management phase through trial and on appeal.
- Bennett is a highly regarded trial and appellate lawyer who focuses his practice on high-stakes litigation, including federal law areas such as trademark, copyright, patent infringement, antitrust, theft of trade secrets, First Amendment and civil rights, and data security.
- Perez and Bennett’s courtroom experience is an immediate asset to BakerHostetler’s labor and employment and litigation practices in Texas and across the United States, and will help provide clients with bespoke legal counsel on their most high-stakes legal matters.
Why this matters
Perez and Bennett are prominent trial attorneys who join BakerHostetler from a boutique litigation firm where, as named partners, they tried complex cases and helped shape the firm’s strategic growth. With more than three decades of combined legal experience, including trying numerous jury trials and appeals and serving as leaders in the legal community, Perez and Bennett add significant strength to the Dallas office.
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“Courtney and Josh are widely recognized as outstanding lawyers and will contribute significantly to dynamic practice areas that have been longtime BakerHostetler strengths,” said Shawn Cleveland, managing partner of the firm’s Dallas office. “With their valuable experience and deep relationships, these trusted attorneys will help position our firm for further success in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.”
About Perez’s practice
Perez is a seasoned and highly regarded trial attorney with significant experience representing clients in high-stakes employment-related disputes and commercial litigation, including matters involving allegations of fraud, negligence, breach of contract and trade secret misappropriation. Board certified in labor and employment law, Perez also advises clients on compliance with employment statutes and handles cases involving claims under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other federal and state laws. She also regularly conducts internal investigations, drafts workplace policies and provides training for employers.
Perez is a leader in the Dallas legal community. In 2014, she cofounded The NEW Roundtable, a nonprofit organization in Dallas formed to drive the inclusion and advancement of Black women attorneys through targeted relationship-building, professional development initiatives and mentoring.
Perez received her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and her B.A. from Wake Forest University.
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“Courtney is highly skilled at confronting the most challenging issues and risks facing employers in the modern workplace, as clients rely on her to strategically approach obstacles and achieve successful outcomes for them,” said Amy Traub, chair of the firm’s nationwide Labor and Employment Practice Group. “And when litigation is needed, Courtney possesses the leadership qualities and experience to lead her trial teams to achieve the results clients need. She is an excellent addition to the Labor and Employment Practice Group and our team of first-chair litigators across the country.”
About Bennett’s practice
Bennett is an accomplished trial and appellate lawyer who represents individuals and businesses in complex and high-stakes disputes covering all phases of litigation. His practice encompasses a wide range of federal law areas, including trademark, copyright, patent infringement, antitrust, theft of trade secrets, First Amendment and civil rights. Additionally, he has represented clients in numerous significant state-law matters involving claims for breach of contract, breach of warranty, breach of fiduciary duty, deceptive trade practices, defamation and anti-SLAPP actions.
In his appellate work, Bennett has served as lead appellate counsel in numerous matters before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 5th and Federal Circuits and appellate courts across Texas, including the Supreme Court of Texas.
Bennett received his J.D. from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law and his B.A. from the University of Utah.
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“Josh is an exceptionally talented and well-known trial lawyer within the legal community,” said Ray Whitman, chair of the firm’s nationwide Litigation Practice Group. “His stellar reputation for delivering outstanding client service, coupled with a tireless work ethic and collaborative spirit, aligns perfectly with our firm’s core values. BakerHostetler is thrilled to have him.”
BakerHostetler’s Labor and Employment Practice Group offers a bespoke, solutions-oriented approach to client service. The team of 100 attorneys in offices across the United States routinely defends complex multiparty employment disputes, class actions, government suits, and the full scope of individual private-plaintiff actions in state and federal courts. The group’s attorneys represent clients with unionized and nonunionized workforces on a wide variety of advisory matters, from noncompetes to diversity, equity and inclusion to immigration to agreement and policy drafting to discipline and terminations and everything in between. No stranger to recognition, the Labor and Employment Practice Group is consistently honored by Chambers USA, Legal 500 and BTI Consulting Group. For more information, visit bakerlaw.com/services/labor-and-employment/.
With more than 400 litigators in offices coast to coast, BakerHostetler’s Litigation Practice Group represents market-leading clients in virtually every type of case and proceeding, nationally and around the world. The group’s roster of litigators includes former prosecutors, veteran civil trial lawyers, and former enforcement officials from various government agencies. Recognized as a “go-to law firm” for its deep bench, commitment to client needs and tenacity, and named by BTI as “Most Feared in Litigation,” BakerHostetler’s Litigation Practice Group successfully protects clients in and out of the courtroom. For more information, visit bakerlaw.com/Litigation.
Connect with us on the social platform X at @BakerHostetler or on LinkedIn at @BakerHostetler, @RayWhitman, @AmyTraub, @ShawnCleveland or @JoshuaBennett.
